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Rowan Mangan

Writer. Mom. Wild Inventurer.

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Welcome to Looking for America!

This is where I write about x, y, z and why I do this thing in the first place. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, brute argumentum quaerendum nam ei. Est iudicabit abhorreant consectetuer ei, dicant aliquid mea in, vim et volutpat consetetur. Dolore antiopam ea ius. Qualisque percipitur delicatissimi vel ne. No sed oratio pidis. Verterem democritum mea et, vidit doming ne nam. Quodsi atomorum nam at, ei qui liber deleniti, ea vel quod euripidis. Ut rebum suscipit nam. Pertinax assentior argumentum cu vis, vel voluptua epicurei facilisis et, ex bonorum phaedrum moderatius vix. Timeam similique delicatissimi mel at, mea altera delectus adolescens id.

Busting Our Creativity Myths

February 16, 2023 2 Comments

Dear ones, I’m laughing at myself today, because after forty-two damn years on this planet, I still regularly go to war with The Way I Am. Here’s what happened this week and how I ultimately made peace with my own nerdy truth. It happens that I’m in the early stages of writing a new novel. […]

Filed Under: Parenting inventures

The Ani DiFranco Wormhole

February 8, 2023 1 Comment

Dear ones, Last week, Marty and I stole ourselves a slow weekday afternoon and lay on the bed together, listening to music like we were 19 and had nowhere else to be. One by one, I played her the songs that had shaped me back when I was that aimless teenager. The music slammed me into the […]

Filed Under: Parenting inventures

Our Own Private Era

January 30, 2023 Leave a Comment

Dear ones, Of all the differences between us (those we unearth and those we invent), we have one MASSIVE thing in common. You reading this, me writing it, all our friends. We are all sharing this particular instant in the history of the planet. Right now. You and me. Right here. This moment belongs to […]

Filed Under: Parenting inventures

10 (Kind) Rules for Writers

January 23, 2023 Leave a Comment

I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of “do the best you can.” It can be a slippery concept—especially when we let anyone else determine what our best consists of. In this spirit, I’ve created for myself the list of rules you can read below. The rules are designed to challenge me while also explicitly acknowledging […]

Filed Under: Parenting inventures

The Story is Smarter Than You

December 12, 2022 Leave a Comment

Dear friends, Yesterday I had a moment. It was a dreary Sunday and I was putting together the ingredients for a meal that would spend the afternoon in the slow cooker, sending delicious smells through our house. My toddler was napping, and I was listening to an audiobook. Cooking + audiobook = Ro’s happy place. This […]

Filed Under: Parenting inventures

Inventures in Inconsistency

December 2, 2022 1 Comment

Dear friends, It’s been a minute, right?! I’m so happy to be reconnecting with you all, old friends and new, after a little glitch in the matrix which kept this newsletter out of circulation for a few weeks. It seems fair to tell you a little about where I’ve been, even though it’s not a […]

Filed Under: Parenting inventures

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I must remember… @andreasithole @themarthabeck I must remember…
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"In this episode of Bewildered, Martha and Ro disc "In this episode of Bewildered, Martha and Ro discuss the fear of not getting enough done that permeates our culture—and what we can do about it. 

As Martha points out, if you’re worried about getting things done, and you try to make the fear go away by getting things done, the fear only multiplies.

Instead of working day in and day out at full capacity, what Martha finds she’s capable of is the slow accumulation of tiny efforts, and interestingly enough, this ends up looking like productivity to other people.

For more insights—and some impromptu coaching—don’t miss the full conversation!" 

Listen at the link in our bio—or on your favorite podcasting app. 

@themarthabeck
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#bewildered #bewilderedpodcast #podcast #podcastersofinstagram #wayfinder #wayfinderlifecoach #rowanmangan #marthabeck #naturenotculture #funny #funnypodcast #funnypodcasts #montypython #productivityhack #productive #elizabethgilbert #normanlear #byronkatie #thework #youareenough #enough #livelifefully #maryoliver #whatmatters #beastonished #maryoliver
"Do you share the belief that frustration and pres "Do you share the belief that frustration and pressure are necessary for success?

The typical “advice” we get from the culture is to always put more on our to-do list than we’ll ever achieve—and always be stressing out about it. 

In this episode of Bewildered, Martha and Ro take a deep dive into the cultural messages that we’re supposed to constantly produce more, more, more and that enough is never enough.

To find out how to let go of the ego’s trick that tells us we must suffer in order to be successful, don’t miss the full conversation!" 

Listen at the link in our bio—or on your favorite podcasting app. 

@themarthabeck
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#bewildered #bewilderedpodcast #podcast #podcastersofinstagram #wayfinder #wayfinderlifecoach #rowanmangan #marthabeck #naturenotculture #funny #funnypodcast #funnypodcasts #montypython #productivityhack #productive #elizabethgilbert #normanlear #byronkatie #thework #youareenough #enough #livelifefully #maryoliver #whatmatters #beastonished #maryoliver
In this episode of Bewildered, Martha and Ro talk In this episode of Bewildered, Martha and Ro talk about how to balance the extremes in our lives (and if we should even try) and they share some funny stories along the way.

Recently Ro went sneaking into her toddler Lila's bedroom (so dramatically that Martha said she’d never make a good pickpocket) and when she stroked Lila’s hair, it felt a little sticky and coarse.

Did Lila get some food in her hair at dinner? Ro wondered. What food could it be? And wait a minute—what was that horrifying hard bit? 

When she looked over, Ro saw a little plastic eye looking up at her and suddenly realized what had happened: She’d been stroking a stuffed monkey for a good five minutes, thinking it was her Lila.

To hear the full story (plus others like it)—and learn how to follow nature’s lead to find balance in your life—don’t miss the full episode!

Listen at the link in our bio—or on your favorite podcasting app.

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#bewildered #bewilderedpodcast #podcast #podcastersofinstagram #wayfinder #wayfinderlifecoach #rowanmangan #marthabeck #naturenotculture #funny #funnypodcast #funnypodcasts #balance #pursuitofbalance #momlife #momlifebalance #momlifekeepingitreal #productivity #productivityhacks #healthyeating #seasonal #anxietyawareness #anxietyrelief #nature #appetite #wisdom
#trust #staywild
It’s another BeWild Files episode of Bewildered, It’s another BeWild Files episode of Bewildered, and Martha and Rowan are answering a question about how to find balance between the extremes in our lives. 

Ro says the idea of appetite is an interesting way to conceptualize the way that our bodies want different things at different times.

For example, Martha recently experienced an all-consuming appetite for painting where she painted all day every day and did little else. And yet after six weeks, she felt “full” and no longer needed to paint at that same level of intensity.

As Rowan says, there is a wisdom to our appetites that is so old and so deep our brains can’t fully understand it. However, if we learn to trust that wisdom, we’ll begin to see how our appetites—even the extreme ones—eventually balance each other out. 

Listen to the full conversation to find out more!

Listen at the link in our bio—or on your favorite podcasting app.

@themarthabeck 
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#bewildered #bewilderedpodcast #podcast #podcastersofinstagram #wayfinder #wayfinderlifecoach #rowanmangan #marthabeck #naturenotculture #funny #funnypodcast #funnypodcasts #balance #pursuitofbalance #momlife #momlifebalance #momlifekeepingitreal #productivity #productivityhacks #healthyeating #seasonal #anxietyawareness #anxietyrelief #nature #appetite #wisdom
#trust #staywild
Assorted Florida moments. Grateful to have been th Assorted Florida moments. Grateful to have been there to farewell a beloved matriarch and see so many dear faces. Thanks to the Gerdes clan for being incredible in every way. All the love.
Join Martha and Ro for episode 50 of Bewildered wh Join Martha and Ro for episode 50 of Bewildered where they team up with special guests Eric Zimmer and Ginny Gay from The One You Feed podcast to talk about the inevitability of constant change and how to proceed without any social scripts to guide us.

The older we get, Eric says, the more the rules keep changing from when we were younger—and if we’re not careful, our ability to adapt will diminish with age. 

Martha suggests that we could see all this change as an opportunity.

Since everything is constantly shifting around us so that we have to improvise everything all the time, what if we start viewing this as a joyful thing that’s helping to keep our brains young? As Ro adds, it may even be a way we can witness our own evolution in our lifetime.

Tune in for this insightful conversation about embracing change and the willingness to adapt, learn, and improvise your way into the life that’s meant for you.

Listen at the link in our bio—or on your favorite podcasting app. 

@themarthabeck
@bewilderedpodcast
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#bewildered #bewilderedpodcast #podcast #podcastersofinstagram #wayfinder #wayfinderlifecoach #rowanmangan #marthabeck #naturenotculture #funny #funnypodcast #funnypodcasts #theoneyoufeed #ericzimmer #livingyourbestlife #mindfullife #theoneyoufeed #ericzimmer #ginnygay #maggiesmith #intuition #thisamericanlife #somatic #bodymindconnection #somatichealing #trustyourintuition #changeisconstant #emilydickinson #beginnersmind
Do you ever have difficulty trusting your gut? In Do you ever have difficulty trusting your gut?

In this episode of Bewildered, Martha and Ro are joined by their friends Eric Zimmer and Ginny Gay from The One You Feed to talk about the intelligence of our bodies and why we have trouble interpreting and acting on our feelings.

Martha shares how our full nervous system can process 11 million bits of information per second, but our cognitive brain can only handle about 40 bits per second. When our feelings have to be filtered through our minds and various social filters, it’s easy to get things wrong!

Join Martha, Ro, Eric, and Ginny for a fun and fascinating conversation about living without social scripts and how to use the intelligence of the body to follow what’s pulling you to become your best self. 

Listen at the link in our bio—or on your favorite podcasting app. 

@bewilderedpodcast
@themarthabeck
@one_you_feed
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#bewildered #bewilderedpodcast #podcast #podcastersofinstagram #wayfinder #wayfinderlifecoach #rowanmangan #marthabeck #naturenotculture #funny #funnypodcast #funnypodcasts #theoneyoufeed #ericzimmer #livingyourbestlife #mindfullife #theoneyoufeed #ericzimmer #ginnygay #maggiesmith #intuition #thisamericanlife #somatic #bodymindconnection #somatichealing #trustyourintuition #changeisconstant #emilydickinson #beginnersmind
Are you familiar with the parable of the two wolve Are you familiar with the parable of the two wolves? 

In Episode 50 of Bewildered, Martha and Ro team up with special guests Eric Zimmer and Ginny Gay of The One You Feed podcast to explore the idea of the two “wolves” or forces within us: One wolf is a force that connects, and the other is a force that divides. 

The interesting thing is, Rowan points out, if you're looking at a force that connects, it automatically includes the force that divides.

Martha adds that if we “feed the right wolf,” we can create a shift in consciousness toward a better way of being. We don’t have to overthrow anything. Simply by changing our consciousness, we can “embrace dissonance and include it to death.”

For more insights on how to shift our consciousness in a constantly changing world, and how to create your ideal life by making it up as you go along, be sure to listen to the full conversation!

Listen at the link in our bio—or on your favorite podcasting app. 

@bewilderedpodcast
@themarthabeck
@one_you_feed 
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#bewildered #bewilderedpodcast #podcast #podcastersofinstagram #wayfinder #wayfinderlifecoach #rowanmangan #marthabeck #naturenotculture #funny #funnypodcast #funnypodcasts #theoneyoufeed #ericzimmer #livingyourbestlife #mindfullife #theoneyoufeed #ericzimmer #ginnygay #maggiesmith #intuition #thisamericanlife #somatic #bodymindconnection #somatichealing #trustyourintuition #changeisconstant #emilydickinson #beginnersmind
Martha and Ro are bringing you another episode of Martha and Ro are bringing you another episode of Bewildered called “Nice Work if You Can Get It,” and it’s all about work, money, and how to follow your dreams with integrity.

You’ll also get to hear them joke about how bad they are at fighting—so bad that they can’t usually remember what their fights were about!

When they do remember, they acknowledge that their fights are about things that are true: Ro mocks Martha for saying she’s a visual person (she is), and Martha ridicules Ro for always needing to have an orderly desk (she does). 

As Martha points out, “Both of those were right. There's no argument we can give.”

The entire episode is full of wisdom with a generous dash of wit, so don’t miss it!

Listen at the link in our bio—or on your favorite podcasting app.

@bewilderedpodcast 
@themarthabeck 
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#bewildered #bewilderedpodcast #podcast #podcastersofinstagram #wayfinder #wayfinderlifecoach #rowanmangan #marthabeck #naturenotculture #funny #funnypodcast #funnypodcasts #adhd #adhdawareness #creativeprocess #creativelifehappylife #anxietyrelief #dreamwork #ilovemyjob #jobsearch #neweconomy #vanlife
Beautiful evening in New York with my gorgeous mum Beautiful evening in New York with my gorgeous mum! @paulamkeogh
Martha and Rowan are back with another episode of Martha and Rowan are back with another episode of Bewildered!

This one’s called How to Get Started, and in it they’re talking about dealing with “transitional tantrums”—that strong resistance we may feel whenever we need to stop what we’re doing to move on to a new task (even if that new thing is good for us).

It turns out there’s a lot to be learned from toddlers on this issue, and Martha and Ro share some hilarious stories about their daughter Lila—including one about a mishap Ro experienced in front of the new babysitter.

Picture it: Both of Ro’s hands were full, she had Lila clinging to one leg, and she was wearing drawstring pajama pants. You can probably draw your own conclusion…

Martha and Ro say that this story will never be spoken of again (ever, by anyone), so be sure to catch the full episode!

Listen at the link in our bio—or on your favorite podcasting app.

@themarthabeck 
@bewilderedpodcast 
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#bewildered #bewilderedpodcast #podcast #podcastersofinstagram #wayfinder #wayfinderlifecoach #rowanmangan #marthabeck #naturenotculture #funny #funnypodcast #funnypodcasts #getstarted #beginner #beginagain #immunitytochange #change #transformation #internalfamilysystems #dopamine #nature #creativity #anxiety #theartofcalm
Spring break in the big smoke. Spring break in the big smoke.
Have you ever struggled to transition from one thi Have you ever struggled to transition from one thing to the next?

Martha and Ro have, and that’s what they’re talking about on this episode of Bewildered: How to Get Started.
 
Listener Josephine asked for advice on how to deal with the resistance that can happen when we need to make these transitions, and Martha and Ro say the key is to recognize the part of yourself that doesn’t want to do the new thing—even if it’s something good for you.

When we have to switch from one self to another self, there is a natural inertia within us that wants us to stay with what we're doing. It’s very difficult to overcome, yet the culture expects us to punish ourselves when we can’t.

Martha and Ro share a kinder, more effective approach, so be sure to listen to the full conversation to find out more!

You can listen to the full episode here, https://marthabeck.com/episodes/how-to-get-started/ or on your favorite podcasting app.

Listen at the link in our bio—or on your favorite podcasting app.

@bewilderedpodcast 
@themarthabeck 
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#bewildered #bewilderedpodcast #podcast #podcastersofinstagram #wayfinder #wayfinderlifecoach #rowanmangan #marthabeck #naturenotculture #funny #funnypodcast #funnypodcasts #getstarted #beginner #beginagain #immunitytochange #change #transformation #internalfamilysystems #dopamine #nature #creativity #anxiety #theartofcalm
This episode of Bewildered is about the cultural “drift patterns” we can get stuck in whether they’re right for us or not.

Rowan says that a big part of how the culture controls us is based on appearances—our fear of not fitting in. And Martha adds that there's a part of us that likes it when other people give us cultural patterns to follow because it means we don't have to make scary choices. 

Drifting along on the culture’s currents can give you a feeling of safety because you’re doing what countless other people have done before you. But, as Ro points out, at what cost to your soul? 

To find out more about drift patterns and how to swim out of one toward your true self, don’t miss the full conversation!

Listen at the link in our bio—or on your favorite podcasting app.

@themarthabeck 
@bewilderedpodcast 
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#bewildered #bewilderedpodcast #podcast #podcastersofinstagram #wayfinder #wayfinderlifecoach #rowanmangan #marthabeck #naturenotculture #funny #funnypodcast #funnypodcasts #thewayofintegrity #integrity #otterlove #otterlife
Doing dangerous things carefully is how children—and all of us—learn anything important. By the same token, Martha says, we grow emotionally when we do painful things with courage and integrity. 

In this BeWild Files episode of Bewildered, Martha and Ro talk about how to navigate the difficult yet necessary situations life throws our way.

Accepting that it’s not going to be easy helps you stay in your integrity, so you can work through your feelings and get to a place of peace. 

To learn more, tune in for the full conversation!

Listen at the link in our bio—or on your favorite podcasting app.

@bewilderedpodcast 
@themarthabeck 
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#bewildered #bewilderedpodcast #podcast #podcastersofinstagram #wayfinder #wayfinderlifecoach #rowanmangan #marthabeck #naturenotculture #funny #funnypodcast #funnypodcasts

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